The present invention relates to a vehicle seat assembly with an integral child seat therein and in particular to such a seat assembly in which the seat back can be folded down, i.e. rotated forward to provide access to the trunk whereby the trunk space is merged with the space of the vehicle rear seat.
With typical vehicle seat assemblies, the seat belt systems, while closely associated with the seat assemblies are anchored directly to the vehicle structure. As a result, the seat assembly does not carry the restraint loads applied by the seat belts. Instead, these loads are applied directly from the belts to the vehicle structure. However, when a seat assembly is equipped with an integral child seat, the restraint loads from the child seat are typically transferred into the seat back of the seat assembly and from there to the vehicle structure. In the case of bench seats for vans and other utility vehicles, the child seat belt loads are generally transferred through the seat assembly structure to the vehicle floor pan. In passenger car vehicles, the child seat belt loads may be transferred to both the floor pan as well as the horizontal shelf extending behind the seat back at its upper end.
The seat back of the present invention is a folding seat back in which the seat back is pivotally attached at its lower end for rotation from its normal upright use position to a generally horizontal forwardly extending position. In the folded down position, the rear seating area is open to the trunk for increased storage capacity and for storage of articles longer than can be stored in the trunk space alone. When a folding seat back is equipped with an integral child seat and the restraint system for the child seat includes belts attached to the vehicle shelf behind the seat back, the child seat belts will present an obstacle in the increased cargo space if left attached to the shelf when the seat back is folded down.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an integral child seat restraint system in which the belts are detachably coupled to the vehicle enabling the belts to be detached from the shelf when the seat is folded forward.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a lock out feature to prevent use of the seat assembly, and in particular the integral child seat, unless the belts are attached to the shelf.
The seat back of the present invention includes a rotatable panel that has a normal upright use position in which it forms a portion of the seat back and a forwardly rotated position in which the rear seat area of the vehicle is open to the trunk. The seat back panel also carries an integral child seat having a restraint system that includes belts anchored at their upper ends to the vehicle shelf structure at the top of the seat back and at their lower ends to the vehicle floor pan. To prevent the belts from being an obstacle when the seat back is folded down, the belts are mounted at their upper ends through a mounting plate that is releasably attached to the vehicle structure to enable the mounting plate and the belts to be released and lowered to the folded down seat back panel. When the mounting plate has been released, a lock out mechanism is activated to prevent return of the folded down seat back to its normal upright use position. The seat back panel can only be returned to an inclined position that is unusable for an adult and which also renders the child seat unusable, thereby providing an obvious indicator that the seat back panel is not in its normal position. Only by reattaching the mounting plate to the vehicle shelf structure, thus properly anchoring the child seat belts, can the seat back panel be returned to its normal use position and latched in place.
Further objects, features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from a consideration of the following description and the appended claims when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings.